Day of the Dead

Ofrendas reminders of deceased

Canyon artist Carlos Cuevas placed the ofrendas, or offerings, on an altar to remember his mother in past Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebrations.

His mother loved Butterfinger candy bars. And the soil was a connection to her heritage.

The gingerbread pigs, well, Cuevas got them for his mother thinking she liked them. And she left them for him thinking he liked them. Neither really liked them, though.

"It's one of the things where every time I see them, I think about her," Cuevas said.

In essence, Day of the Dead is about remembering and celebrating the lives of loved ones who have died. It is a largely Mexican holiday that blends Mesoamerican traditions with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, Catholic celebrations. The holiday also is observed in many Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Brazil.

In Mexico, altars are built not only in the home, but in public spaces and at the cemetery. Usually photos of dead relatives are accompanied by their favorite items as well as several symbolic items.

"It's not just visual. There's texture, there's smell; it's just what was it or what it is that brings that memory back," Cuevas said.

It's been several years since Cuevas set up an altar with ofrendas, but he said it's not uncommon for elements of the altar to remain up in a home year-round.

"You can make it as personal as you want. If I did it again, I would probably incorporate both my grandmother and my mother," he said.

There are no set rules for building the altar. Because of regionalism and differences between generations, ofrendas can differ from home to home.

"The hardest thing is this whole concept of Mexican, Latino, Hispanic - whatever it is. We all come from different places at different times (and) to try to lump it all into one way, I don't think it works," Cuevas said.

Austin and other southern Texas cities often have parades and public celebrations similar to festivities held in Mexico, Cuevas said.

While recognized in the area by some, Day of the Dead is not as prominent as it is elsewhere in Texas and areas with major Hispanic populations.

Fear of offending those that do not understand the celebration, laboriously explaining the customs and the fact that many of the symbolic items aren't readily available can factor into why people may not celebrate, Cuevas said.

"Like anything else, if you don't practice it and keep it going, it does fade away," he said.

For Adriana De La Cruz, Day of the Dead is something she celebrated in her hometown of Chihuahua City, Mexico, but not in Amarillo.

In Mexico, the family cleaned the graves of loved ones and celebrated their lives. In Amarillo, De La Cruz doesn't have extended family and her 18-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter are unfamiliar with many Mexican customs.

While some of the ofrendas are hard to come by, Panaderia Sanchez and other bakeries will make traditional pan de muerto, or bread of the dead.

Jose Sanchez and his wife, Maria, have owned the little bakery on Amarillo Boulevard for 18 years. They will be busy in the coming week as they fulfill orders of pan de muerto.

Although Sanchez - who is from San Luis Potosi, Mexico - has been in the United States for years, he says baking the bread for this unique holiday is very special: It reminds him of Mexico, he said in Spanish.

His wife describes the bread as "not too sweet" but that sugar is sprinkled over the top of it to give it a little sweetness.

The Sanchezes are expecting to take a lot of orders for the bread in the days leading up to Friday's celebration. There will be pan de muerto available for walk-in purchases, they said, but it is best to put in an order ahead of time.